Knockdown box.



J. o. GALMEYN.

KNOGKDOWN BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1911.

1,099,422, y Patented lJune 9, 1914n 2 SHBETS-SHBBT 1.

J. C. GALMEYN.

KNOGKDOWN BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED mmm, 1011.

1 ,099,422` Patented June 9,1914.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" i STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH C. CALIVIEYN, 0F CHICAGO,` ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOJAMES CARMICHAEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KNOCKDOWN BOX;

Specification of Letters Patent.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. GALMEYN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvementsin Knockdown Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in knockdownboxes adaptedfor the shipment of food stuffs, vegetables, provisions and the like andaims to provide a simple, strong, durableand inexpensive device of thischaracter whichmay be readily set up for use and, when emptied of itscontents, easily knocked down or disassembled so that a number of theboxes may be nested or strapped together into a neat compact form forreturn shipment or storage.

rIhis invention embodies various novel features of construction designedto coperate in the accomplishment of certain objects, among which are,`the provision of means whereby the sides and ends of the box aredetachably` locked to `the bottom when the box is opened but maybedetached therefrom when the boXiis `collapsedand also novel means forengaging the top of the box with the sides `and lends upon lateralsliding movement of the top.`

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the invention1is better`understood by reference to the following description when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings illust-ratingone preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boxembodyingmy invention. Fig. 2is an endview thereof. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view through the center of the boX. Fig. lis `adetail perspective view of one of the end plates.` Fig. 5 is alongitudinal.sectionalview of the box. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveviewlooking at `the under side of theboX cover. Fig. `7 is a plan viewof the box `with `the cover removed. Fig. S is a detail perspective viewof one of the detachable brackets; and Fig. 9 is a detail perspective ofone of the cover fastening devices.

From the drawings it will be` observed that the box comprises a bottommember 10, side `members 11, end members 121and a top member 13. Insteadof following the practice of hinging the side and end members to thebottom member as has customarily been after it has been introducedtherein.

done heretofore in knockdown boxes and crates of `various kinds, I havefound it desirable and expedient to make the side and end membersdetachable from the bottom member so that when the box is collapsed thevarious members may be packed independentlyof each other in a smallcompact space and to this end I have provided means whereby the side andend members can be readily and automatically connected with the bottommember during the assemblage of the box and can be quickly and easilydetached therefrom as the box is knocked down or disassembled. Theconnecting means preferably comprises a plurality of plates 14: securedby screws or other similar fasten t ing means to the bottom member eachprovided .w1th1 a perforation 16 and aslot `17 for detachable engagementwith projections 18 and 19, which I have shown in formof screws,projecting from the faces of the end Vmembers and the ends of the sidemembers,

respectively. The slot 17 with which each of the plates 14; :is providedhas a horizontal portion for the entrance of the projection 19 and avertical portion adapted to prevent horizontal displacement of theprojection The perforationlG comprises an enlarged circular portionadapted to permit the head of the screw 1S to be passed therethrough anda shallow extension at its upper side to receive the shank of the screwand prevent the head thereof from being withdrawn from the plate.

In setting up the box the side members i are first introduced in asubstantially horit zontal plane between the companion plates 14 onopposite ends of the bottom member so as todntroduce the shanks of theprojections 19 into the horizontal portions of the slots 17.1 The sidemembers are then turned upwardly into position perpendicular to thebottom member, the engagement of the lower edge of the side memberswith" the face of the bottom member'during the tilting movement servingto raise the projections 19 into the vertical portions of the slots 17,thereby preventing lateral displacement' of theside members. In orderthat the side members may notbe tilted beyond their perpendicularrelation` to the bottom member, I provide suitable stops adapted tolimit the swinging movements ofthe side members, the stops being shownin the present instance Patented June 9, 1914.l

Vlimited lateral movement.

as screws 20 projecting upwardly from the bottom member intermediate itslength. The lower edges of the side members are preferably recessed at21 to accommodate the screws 20 so that the stops may be 1ocatedentirely within the plane of the box. An intermediate position of theside members as they are being brought from hori- Zontal toperpendicular position is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. Afterthe side members are assembled the end members may be placed in positionby moving them outwardly against the plates 14 substantially 'in theplane indicated in dotted lines in Y Fig. 5 until the heads of theprojections 18 are passed through the enlarged portions of the apertures16, thereupon the end members may be' tilted to perpendicular position,the lower edges of the members sliding along the faceof the bottommember serving to raise the projections 18 into the shallow extensionsof the apertures l'whereby the end members are locked against lateraldisplacement. In order to facilitate the swinging movement of the endmembers into position, their lower outer corn-ers are preferably roundedoif as indicated at 22 so that theyV will the more readily slide alongthe face of the bottom member.

In order to rigidly secure the side and end members together after theyhave been assembled, to prevent collapsing of the box and also to affordgreater strength and rigidity to the vstructure asv a whole, I haveprovided the inner face of each of the end and side members adjacentVits end with screws or other vsimilar projections 23 which `are adaptedto be detachably engaged by strengthening brackets 24. As shown in Fig,8 each of these brackets is of angle formation and is provided wit-hdownwardly Vopening slots 25 adapted to slide over the shanks of theprojections 23 to securely fasten the end and side members together. Itwill` be evident that the brackets can be easily attached when the boxis set up and lreadily removed (when it is desired to take the box down.

The cover member 18 which is detachable from the rest of the box isdesigned to be secured to the side and end members by a From Fig. 6 itwill be observed that a pair of hook shaped members 26 is secured to thebottom face of Y thel cover adjacent one edge thereof with the tongues27 projecting inwardly and that the member 2S is secured adjacent theopposite edge of the cover with its tongue 29 projecting in the samedirection as the tongues27.l One ofthe side members is provided withrecesses 30 adapted tore- Yceive the tongues 27 while the other sidemember is provided with a similar recess positioned to receive thetongue 29. When the cover is resting upon the upper edges of the openbox it will be evident that limited lateral sliding movement will bringt-he tongues 27 and 29 into their respective Each of the end members isrecesses. equipped with a plate 82 havingone end 33 thereof bentoutwardly, said portion being provided with a slot 34. rlhe lower faceof.

the cover is also equipped with similar plates 32 positioned to slidablyengage with the plates upon the end members g when the cover is slidinto closed position. It will thus be seen that the cover when Vinposition is lockingly engaged with both side members and both endmembers, thereby locking means maybe employed if preferred, forinstance, the tongue 29 might be extended entirely through the sidemember and a padlock or key might be engaged in the perforation providedin the portion of the tongue extending outside the box. Preferably,however, the locking means'should be disposed entirely within the planeof the box so as to leave no projecting portions which might be liableto be broken on". f

While I have shown and described a pre# ferred embodiment of myinvention it will be obvious that various changes in the size,

shape and proportion of the various parts may be resorted to and ifpreferred the sides, ends and top may be'made of slats or similar openwork construction thereby producing an open crate adapted to accommodatepoultry', etc., and that other mechanical changes 'may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

I claim: Y

1. In a knockdown box, the combination `of a bottom member, end members,sideV members, perforated plates carried by said bottom member, ,andprojections arranged on said side and end members in positionto engagewith said plates and lock the side and end members to the bottom memberwhen in perpendicular` relation and permit the side and end members tobe detached from the bottom member when tilted from said perpendicularposit-ion. Y

2. A knockdown box comprising end, side and bottom members, and meansfor securing the said. members together, the said means comprising aplate permanentlyand lrigidly fixed to one of said members and providedwith an aperture and a slot for detachable engagement with the othermembers, the said engagement rigidly connecting the said side, end andbottom members upon movement of the said members `to Which the saidplate is detachably engaged.

3. A knockdown box` comprising bottom, end and side members, and a platepermanently and rigidly secured to the bottom member, said plate beingprovided With an aperture and a slot, and the end and side members beingequipped With suitable projections to be inserted in the said apertureand slo-t and engaged therewith, the said engagement being completed bymovement of the side and end members into upright position.

4t. In a knockdovvnbomtheicombination of bottom, end and side members,common means permanently and rigidly secured to said bottom member fordetaehably connecting said end and side members to the bottom memberwhen the said end and side members are inclined to the bottom member andfor locking the said members `one to the other upon movement ofthe endand side members to a perpendicular position relatively to the bottommember, and detachable means for rigidly securing the said end and sidemembers together at their tops.

5. A knockdovvn boxcomprising `a .bottom member, a plurality of platessecured upon each end of said bottom `member and each of said plates`being provided With a perforation and a slot, side members, studs`projecting from the ends thereof and adapted to be lockingly engaged insaid slots When the side members are tilted into verti- Gopies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents,

cal position, end members equipped With` projecting studs adapted tolockingly engage in said perforations when the end members are tiltedinto vertical. position, and a cover provided with means whereby saidcover is locked to both of said side members and both of said endmembers liipon sliding movement transversely of the 6. In a knockdownbox, the combination of bottom, end and side Walls, an upwardly`upwardly extending plates secured to the` ends of the bottom Wall, eachprovided with an aperture and a slot, projections upon the end Walls to`engage in the said apertures, and projections upon the ends of the sidewalls to engage in the said slots, said pro-` jections being `arrangedto engage with the apertures and slots `when the side and end Walls arein tilted position and to securel these Walls in position When the sameare vertically disposed.

JOSEPH C. CALMEYN.

Witnesses:

IRA J. WILSON, M. ROBERTSON.

Washington, D. C."

